Sorting apparatus



ilnited @rates Patent @time E Patented Mar. 5, 1963 3,086,033 SORTWGAPPARATUS Graeme Scott, Lachine, and Zanon Andrew Kular, Dorval, Quebec,Canada, assignors to Northern Electric Com pany Limited, Montreal,Quebec, Canada Filed Aug. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 217,193 6 Claims. (Cl.193-23) This invention relates to sorting apparatus for sorting objectsinto a plurality of receptacles.

According to this invention, a sorting apparatus having a sorting tubefreely movable over the receptacles into which the objects are to besorted and guide means for guiding the objects to one end of the tube,is provided with four shitting members which are operable singly and incombination to shift the other end or" the tube to obtain the desiredsorting of the objects into the receptacles. The shifting members, eachof which has a reciprocable element engageable with the sorting tube,are arranged in two pairs adapted to act on the tube at two locationsspaced longitudinally thereof and spaced from said other end. They arefurther arranged so that the reciprocable elements in one pair ofshifting members are disposed radially of the tube at right angles toeach other with each of the reciprocable elements in one pair lying inthe same plane as a reciprocable element of the other pair,

A sorting apparatus according to the invention utilizes only simple andreadily available components requiring very little in the way of specialadaptation and yet provides an accurate means by which objects can besorted into a plurality of receptacles. Because of the simplecomponents, this apparatus is less expensive to construct and maintainthan previously known sorting devices employing a single movable sortingtube. A surprising feature of the invention, which also illustrates itssimplicity, is that, in one embodiment, the apparatus can sort -objectsinto as many as sixteen receptacles by utilizing only four standardsolenoids as the shifting members. These solenoids may be connecteddirectly to a sensing device, such as described in Z. A. Kulars CanadianPatent No. 531,465, dated November 21, 1961, and the correspondingUnited States Patent No. 3,029,941, dated April 17, 1962, so that thesorting is done automatically in accordance with characteristics of theobjects to be sorted as sensed by the sensing device.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below withreference to the attached drawing.

ln this embodiment, a sorting apparatus comprises a square base plateit? at one corner of which is mounted a vertical column 11 having at itsupper end a horizontal arm 12 rigidly supporting a funnel 13 overapproximately the centre of the base plate and under a chute 14 whichdelivers the objects to be sorted to the funnel. A rigid sorting tube 15is suspended at its upper end 16 from the lower small-diameter portionof funnel 13 by a flexible tube 17 so that its lower end 1S is spacedabove the base plate 111.

The column 11 also supports two vertically spaced pairs of horizontalarms 19, 2t) and 21, 22 on which are respectively mounted solenoids 1,d, 2 and 8, each of which has a reciprocable plunger 23. Arms 19 and 2)are disposed at right angles to each other and parallel to the sides ofbase plate 1@ adjacent the corner at which column 11 is mounted, and thesolenoids 1 and 4 are mounted at the free ends thereof with theirrespective plungers 23 extending at right angles to each other andradially toward a location on tube 15 adjacent its upper end 16. Arms 21and 22 and solenoids 2 and S are similarly arranged with these lattersolenoids lying directly beneath solenoids 1 and d, respectively, withtheir plungers extending toward a location on tube 15 midway between thelower end '1S and the aforesaid location adjacent upper end 16.

Each plunger 23 is reciprocable from a normal extended position, shownin the drawing, to a retracted position when its solenoid is energizedand has a stroke between these two positions which is the same for eachof the other plungers. The plungers 23 are connected to the tube 15' atthe aforesaid locations, each by a separate plate member 24 attached tothe outer free end of the plunger and having an elongated closed slot 25slidably embracing the tube 15. The slot 2S extends at right angles toits plunger 23 and has a length at least equal to the stroke of theother plunger 23 of the particular pair of solenoids plus the diameterof the tube 15. To compensate for the thickness of the members 24,solenoids 4 and S are mounted on spacers 26.

A container 27 having sixteen receptacles or compartments C0 to C15 intowhich the objects are to be sorted is placed on base plate 10 withcompartment C0 directly beneath the lower end 18 of the sorting tube 15when the solenoids are de-energized and their plungers 23 are extendedas shown. Because of the particular arrangement of the solenoids in thispreferred embodiment of the invention, the compartments are arranged ina square form with adjacent compartments having centre-to-centredistances equal to the common stroke length of the plungers 23.

The solenoids may be enerized singly and in combination to sort theobjects into any of the compartments of container 27. The compartmentdesignations C0 to C15 indicate the particular solenoid or combinationof solenoids which must be energized to shift the lower end 13 or thetube 15 to any particular compartment. When no solenoids are energized,the lower end 18 of tube 15 overlies compartment C0 and an objectdelivered to the Yfunnel 13 by the chute 141 passes freely through thedexible tube 17 and the sorting tube 15 into that compartment. lf,however, an object is to be deposited into compartment C1, solenoid 1 isenergized to retract its plunger 23 which, by its connection 24, pullsthe upper end 16 of tube 15 toward that solenoid. The tube 15 slides inslot 25 of the connection 24 of solenoid 4 and pivots about itsconnection with solenoids 2 ad 8 to assume the position shown at 2Swherein the lower end 18 is shifted to -overlie compartment C1. Theupper end 16 remains connected to the funnel 13 by the flexible tube 17which permits this displacement and ensures that the object will passfreely through the apparatus to compertinent C1.

Compartment C10 may be reached in a similar manner by energizingsolenoids 2 and S (2l-8:10). Tube 15 is pulled toward both solenoids atits midpoint and pivots about its connection with solenoids 1 and 4 toassume the position shown lat 29 in which the lower end 18 overliescompartment C10. The remaining compartments may likewise be reached byenergizing those solenoids having reference numerals which, when addedtogether, give the subscript number of the desired compartment. Thus,solenoids Z, 4 and 8 select compartment C14, solenoids 1, 2 and 4 selectcompartment C7, etc.

Energizing of the solenoids can be accomplished in any suitable manner.If the objects are being sorted according to characteristics determinedby an operator, push buttons or the like may be provided which can beoperated manually to energize the solenoids as required. lt is generallypreferred, however, that the characteristics of the objects be sensedautomatically by a sensing device, such as described in theaforementioned Canadian Patent No, 631,465 and United States Patent No.3,029,941, in which case the solenoids may be conected for directactuation by the device in accordance with the sensed characteristics oftheI objects.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Sorting apparatus for sorting objects into `a plurality ofreceptacles, comprising a sorting tube freely movable over saidreceptacles, guide means for guiding the objects to oner'end vor saidtube, and,V fourshifting members operable singly and in combination forshifting the other end of said tube toA obtain theV desired sorting ofthe objects into said receptacles, said members being arranged in twopairs adapted to act on said tube at two locations spaced longitudinallythereof and spaced from said other end, each shifting member having areciprocable element engageable with said tube, the reciprocableelements of a pair of shifting members being disposed radially of saidtube and at right angles to each other and each -of said elements of apair of shifting members lying in the same plane as a reciprocableelement of the other pair.

2. Sorting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each reciprocableelement is operable between two positions whereby said other end of thesorting tube is shiftable to sort the objects into sixteen receptacles.

3. Sorting apparatus as claimed inclaim 2 wherein one of said locationsis twice the distance ofthe other location from said other end of saidtube and the reciprocable elements have equal strokes between theirrespective two positions whereby said sixteen receptacles are arrangedto form a square in which adjacent receptacles have centre-to-,centredistances equal to the common displacement of said elements.

4, Sorting Iapparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of thereciprocable elements is a solenoid.

5. Sorting apparatus as claimed in claim l wherein each reciprocableelement is provided with connecting means for connecting it to saidtube, the connecting means comprising a plate member rigidly attached tothe reciprocable elementV and having a slot therein slidably embracingsaid tube, said slot being elongated at 'right angles to itsvreciprocable element and being of a length at least equal to the strokeof .the other reciprocable element of the particular pair of shiftingmembers plus the diameter of said tube.

6. Sorting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide meanscomprises a iiexible tube rigidly supportedat one end and connected atthe other end to said one end of the sorting tube.

References Cited in the tile of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS392,171 Tromanhauser Oct. 30, 1888 814,957 Ham ,Mar. 13, 1906 2,657,782.Gerber Nov. 3, 1953 2,684,798 Schweiter et al. July 27, 1954 2,692,073Kelly Oct. 19, 1954 2,944,648 Haines July 12, 1960 2,956,382 WardellOct. 18, 1960 3,029,941 Kular Apr. 17, 1962

1. SORTING APPARATUS FOR SORTING OBJECTS INTO A PLURALITY OFRECEPTACLES, COMPRISING A SORTING TUBE FREELY MOVABLE OVER SAIDRECEPTACLES, GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING THE OBJECTS TO ONE END OF SAIDTUBE, AND FOUR SHIFTING MEMBERS OPERABLE SINGLY AND IN COMBINATION FORSHIFTING THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE TO OBTAIN THE DESIRED SORTING OF THEOBJECTS INTO SAID RECEPTACLES, SAID MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED IN TWO PAIRSADAPTED TO ACT ON SAID TUBE AT TWO LOCATIONS SPACED LONGITUDINALLYTHEREOF AND SPACED FROM SAID OTHER END, EACH SHIFTING MEMBER HAVING ARECIPROCABLE ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID TUBE, THE RECIPROCABLEELEMENTS OF A PAIR OF SHIFTING MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED RADIALLY OF SAIDTUBE AND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER AND EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS OF APAIR OF SHIFTING MEMBERS LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AS A RECIPROCABLEELEMENT OF THE OTHER PAIR.